A new generation of cutting-edge technology, fully automated controls and innovations in residential pool management is putting coastal homeowners in command of their prized outdoor living experiences – in many cases at the touch of a button.
“A pool is no longer just a place to hang out in the summertime,” says Teri Wiltshire, special projects manager at Master Pools Guild in Richmond, Virginia, an international consortium of outstanding pool builders.
“It’s now much more of a year-round experience, and savvy coastal homeowners want integrated and customized pool design rather than technologies added on as an afterthought.”
WATCH THIS SPACE
Want to control your pool from your wristwatch? Pentair has introduced the world’s first wearable pool and spa automation interface, specifically engineered for Apple Watch.
The new ScreenLogic for Apple Watch allows customers to control an array of Pentair products – including IntelliTouch and EasyTouch automation systems – locally or remotely and via Wi-Fi or cellular.
The app can control water temperature, lighting, fountains and waterfalls, among other features. And if your pool is equipped with Pentair’s IntelliChem Water Chemistry Controller, the app can also monitor a pool’s sanitizer levels and extends to the firm’s IntelliChlor Salt Chlorine Generator.
“The ScreenLogic interface reflects Pentair’s ongoing drive to give pools owners the control they prefer on the newest devices,” says Senior Product Manager David MacCallum.
Users can customize their Apple Watch face with a ScreenLogic “Complication” to display temperature and chemistry information, as well as turn lighting, fountains or other pool features on or off when at home or from thousands of miles away.
The new interface is included with the SceenLogic Connect iOS app, available free from Apple’s App Store.
.jpg)
IT’S ALL UNDER CONTROL
Hayward’s OmniLogic – a collaboration with home automation provider Control4 – is also setting standards in pool technology, integrating pool and spa with fully automated home systems.
“The ability to tie pool, outdoor audio, deck lighting and even the entertainment system together with the touch of a button delivers a really cool and compelling outdoor experience,” says Paul J. Williams, Control4 vice president of lighting and comfort.
OmniLogic’s user interface features touch screen menus with tap and swipe navigation. Switch the pool heater on or off, crank up the spa jets, control filters or adjust water temperatures from the sleek controller, your iOS and Android devices or an onscreen TV interface.
One particularly clever application allows programming of up to 25 unique themes that customize lighting, water features, temperature, music and even poolside fire features.
“People don’t want complicated controls. They just want them to work effortlessly, and that’s the experience we’ve delivered,” says Williams.